If Only She Knew
by EMR-one7
Summary: [Songfic] Sakura gifts Naruto an mp3 player for Christmas but instead of simply using the gift like a normal human being, he uses it to troll her at the hospital. As he continues his onslaught, she's left to wonder how the blond knucklehead could turn such a harmless gift into such an unbelievably annoying one. A NaruSaku story. (Will feature songs to listen to throughout the fic)
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Naruto or any of the associated characters.

_To the readers:_

I'M BACK!...kind of...I'm still in school so we'll see lol.

I know Christmastime has passed but I'm gonna upload this anyway. I've been working on it for a while now and it would feel like I had wasted my time if I didn't upload it. If you think this fic is ridiculous and stupid and maybe a little cringy, then good! It's designed to be that way! This isn't supposed to be some super serious fic but rather a lighthearted fic that simply tries to be enjoyable. That's why this fic doesn't try to really justify anything like technology or the songs and artists from our world that are somehow present in the Naruto world. I hope the tone this fic is going for is clear. This light tone does not mean this story won't have an overarching plot, but just that it's meant to be comedic and ridiculous more than anything. The only exception to this is the first chapter which is more or less a setup chapter. I've tried to use everything from modern, old (classic), mellow, and upbeat songs just to shake things up and hopefully have music that everyone can appreciate!

**IMPORTANT:**

When I want you (the reader) to play a song in the background, you will see Start Playing followed by the song I've chosen. Example – **Start Playing: Song Title and Artist**. Once you start the song you can let it play in the background as you finish reading the chapter. If the song finishes before you finish the chapter, you can probably just restart it if you want. When a character (usually Naruto) is singing the lyrics to a song, the lyrics will be italicized with quotation marks. Example – _"Song lyrics would be here."_

As the author, I created and read this work while listening to the music I have stated in the fic. If you're not going to listen to this with the music, I guarantee you the experience will not be anywhere close to carrying the effect intended. Some of the songs are simply fun to listen to and some of them provide a comedic effect at certain points in the fic. Without listening to the songs at the points specified, these effects will inevitably be lost.

I'm going to release the first two chapters together because Chapter 1 doesn't contain any songs. At least if the second chapter is up, you'll be able to see what type of songfic this is and have an idea of what to expect going forward.

Chapters will sometimes be very short and other times be very long depending on what's happening in the story. Without further ado, I hope you all enjoy this story!

Ch. 1

**Day 0 (8:57 PM) - Song Selection: None**

Location: Naruto's Apartment

Sakura unwrapped a small black box while casting Naruto a somewhat suspicious glance. He always gave her good gifts but for some reason, she just always expected to one day get a gag gift from him. It seemed like something he might do at some point given his character. She gave him one more wary glance then slowly flipped the black box open. She let out a small gasp after seeing what was inside which brought a content smile to Naruto's lips. Inside the box was a small gold necklace with an emerald green pendant a little bigger than a pearl. Sakura couldn't help but note that the green of the pendant was very close to matching the green of her eyes. She was sure Naruto had picked it for that exact reason. He was just the type of person to pay attention to details like that - a fact she appreciated more than she let on. She examined it for a bit longer, then softly said, "It's beautiful…" admiring the gold necklace in her hands.

Naruto was sitting cross-legged on the floor but leaned to the side to rest on his elbow after seeing her reaction. He gave a small smile and said, "I'm glad you like it." feeling happy that his gift had been well received.

Sakura gave him a tender smile then replied, "I don't like it, Naruto, I love it." as she looked back down at the necklace.

Kakashi was sitting on the couch a few feet away and couldn't help but give a small smile as he watched the two. He broke into the silence and said, "Yeah, you really outdid yourself Naruto…" then smiled and added, "Why don't you help her put it on?" while shooting Naruto a small smile from under his mask. Naruto looked towards Kakashi a little wide-eyed and said, "Me?" while pointing to himself. Sasuke had just come from the kitchen and responded before Kakashi could. "Yeah, you, Dobe." Naruto looked a little unsure of what to do, but Sakura didn't seem to have a problem with the idea because she turned her back towards him and then handed him the necklace over her back. She dangled the necklace a bit then said, "I agree. It's only fitting…" while giving him a soft smile over her back.

Naruto looked at the necklace with a bit of apprehension before gently taking it from her. "Ok." he said in a voice that unintentionally came out as a whisper. He had obviously been caught off guard by the suggestion, although he tried to hide it the best he could. It probably would've worked if everyone in the room hadn't known him for so long.

He carefully opened the necklace then softly placed it around her neck before closing it and letting go with a soft smile. Sakura raised a hand to the necklace then turned to Naruto with a small smile and asked, "What do you think?"

Naruto looked at it then gave Sakura a bright smile and said in his usual cheery voice, "Beautiful!" Sakura smiled a bit more at that then raised a hand to rub her fingers across the pendant and softly said, "Thank you, Naruto..." while pulling him into a close hug. Naruto rested his head on her shoulder with a small smile and said, "You're welcome, Sakura-chan."

After they released the hug, Sakura picked up a small gift wrapped in green wrapping paper. She looked at the gift she'd gotten him while holding it close then said, "Now, I kinda feel bad. I knew I should've got you something else…"

Naruto saw her trying to hide his gift, so he wore a wicked smile then quickly snatched it from her and held it high out of her reach. "Hey!" she yelled out in protest as she tried to reach across his body to grab it. Naruto simply stretched his arm to hold the box farther out of reach.

"Don't worry. I'm sure I'll like whatever it is!" he laughed while flashing her one of his wide-toothed grins. "Besides, what're you gonna do? Make me wait for you to get me something else? I don't think so…" he said while scrunching his face into a pout. Sakura let out a small sigh then finally gave up and clumsily clambered off of him. She moved her hands to her lap to try to hide her embarrassment, but her slightly reddening cheeks were giving her away.

Naruto let out a wide grin then grabbed at the wrapping paper on the gift until it was all gone. After he was done, he examined his now unwrapped Christmas present with an inquisitive stare then turned to Sakura with wide, questioning eyes. He lifted up the packaged item and asked, "What's this?"

Sakura started fidgeting around without really meaning to and replied, "It's an mp3 player. I noticed you like listening to music, so I thought it'd be a good gift. I already put some of the songs I've heard you listening to on there and I also added some other ones I thought you'd like." She gave a small shrug and finished, "Now you can listen to music whenever and wherever you want…"

"Really?!" asked Naruto with his deep blue eyes already starting to shimmer from the excitement of receiving his new gift. Sakura smiled a bit at his reaction then lifted her head slightly to nod and replied, "Yeah, really..."

Naruto pulled her into a tight hug while rocking back and forth then said, "Awesome! I knew I'd like whatever it was. Thanks, Sakura-chan." Sakura smiled and responded to his thanks by hugging him a little tighter. "Are you sure you like it?"

Naruto smiled then pushed her off so he could hold her by her shoulders. He beamed at her with that infamous wide-toothed smile and exclaimed, "You bet I do! It's a gift from my best friend, how could I not like it?"

Sakura wore a small smile and said, "I guess you're right." She turned away a bit to hide the small frown that threatened to creep up to her face at him calling her his best friend. She didn't find anything wrong with being Naruto's best friend. As a matter of fact, being Naruto's one and only best friend made her feel pretty special. It just hurt to be best friends with him when she wanted to be something more. It was a gradual change, but there was no denying that their roles had been reversed. Over time, Naruto had gone from being the guy who was crushing on her to simply being her best friend, and she had gone from being Naruto's best friend to actually wanting to be something more than friends. She could still remember back when they were younger, he used to always tell her things about how amazing she was or how she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever laid eyes on…or he'd tell her something stupid about her forehead… He still told her all those nice things, but after settling into being her friend, he never really said them as often or in the same way he used to, and as much as she tried to run from it, that fact saddened her. Over time, she realized that all she wanted was for him to treat her like that again, to _see_ _her_ like that again. She had considered talking to him, maybe about everything, but she couldn't bring herself to do it after remembering how she responded to his advances in the past. He had made it obvious how he felt about her, but she never really took him seriously. He probably didn't have those feelings anymore anyway…

"Sakura-chan, you ok?"

Sakura turned to Naruto who was now giving her a small smile although he looked like he might be the slightest bit concerned. She brought herself back to reality then replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just glad you liked the gift, that's all."

Naruto watched her response then gave an unreadable smile almost as if thinking about something. After a short pause, he gave her a reassuring smile and said, "Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I'll be sure to listen to every song…"

"Every song?" she asked with a bit of a smile. "There's quite a few on there…"

Naruto beamed at her and said, "Sakura-chan, you know me. It's a promise." Sakura could do nothing but wear an adoring smile as she looked back at him. He was still the same old Naruto making promises, as usual. She could see in his eyes that he meant it. For some reason, his eyes just had that strange power. They would just let you know he meant every word when he said something. She had seen countless promises reflected by those eyes and she had to admit that he'd been pretty good about keeping them. Impossibly good to be honest, but he was just reliable like that. That was what made him special – made him Naruto. Her arm lifted almost as if on its own to touch his face, but she quickly realized what she was doing and turned the touch into a playful punch on the shoulder. She quickly shook herself free of her thoughts then gave him a small smile and said, "I know you will."

After that, Sakura stood up and stretched a bit before letting out a loud sigh as she turned to the three. "If we're done with presents, I think we could use some more food, yeah?"

The three nodded in agreement then Sakura jumped to her feet and left to go fetch some baked Christmas goods from the kitchen.

While she was gone, Sasuke noticed that Naruto was holding his new mp3 player with a bit of a gentle smile. That wasn't much of a surprise. He knew his two teammates had grown close in his absence and seeing their close bond manifest itself was something that no longer surprised him. What did surprise him though was how quickly Naruto's tender smile morphed into a somewhat devious one. _'Now what dumb plan could that Dobe have already come up with to have him smiling like that…' _he thought with a blank stare.

He gave the blond one last glance then asked, "What the heck are you thinking?"

Naruto turned to him with a wide smile and said, "Oh, nothing..." He leaned towards Sasuke's ear and whispered, "It's just that I realized something… And I have a _really_ fun idea that I can use to deal with it…"

Sasuke looked towards the mp3 player and whispered back, "And this brand-new idea involves the gift you received less than a minute ago?..."

Naruto gave a small nod and whispered, "Yep. This is gonna be my secret weapon. Just you wait. You'll see…"

Sasuke shook his head disapprovingly then mumbled to himself, "I'm not sure I'll want to…" That idiot always came up with the weirdest plans. To his credit, the unorthodox nature of his plans was usually what made them so unusually effective - a fact the Uchiha still found quite perplexing…

A little while later, Sakura walked back into the room announcing that she had a freshly stocked plate of baked goods. Kakashi was the first to reach out and grab a handful of cookies while expressing his thanks. Naruto and Sasuke followed suit then the four all settled in and proceeded to enjoy each other's company for the rest of the night.

* * *

_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

Day 1 (11:51 AM) -** *Start playing: Never Gonna Give You Up – Rick Astley***

Location: Konoha Hospital

Sakura was going through a patient file and getting ready to go on her lunch break when she heard what sounded like someone singing from the end of the hallway. The singing wasn't bad or off tune, it was just so loud that it sounded utterly obnoxious. She made a bit of a grimace then turned her ear towards the sound to hear what the person was singing. After listening for a bit, she figured it sounded like a pretty old song by the sound of it. But who would be singing old songs in the hospital hallway?

"…_You know the rules and so do I (do I, do I)…"_

'_That can't be who I think it is…'_ she thought to herself as she turned her head to look down the hallway. That voice sounded too familiar... Waaaaaay too familiar…

"…_You wouldn't get this from any other guy…"_

Sakura let out a small sigh then started walking over to intercept Naruto who was blissfully singing with both eyes closed as he walked through the hallway. _'Baka…' _she thought with a blank stare.

"…_Gotta make you understand_

_Never gonna give you up_

_Never gonna let you down-"_

Naruto stopped singing and opened his eyes after feeling someone very forcefully poke his chest. He looked down to see none other than Sakura standing in front of him with arms crossed. He wore a wide smile after realizing who it was then reached into his pocket to turn down the volume a bit. He gave her an energetic wave and said, "Oh, hiya Sakura-chan."

She tried to remain as calm as possible then looked up to him and asked, "Naruto… What in the world are you doing running around singing old songs in the hospital hallway?"

Naruto responded by digging into his pocket and grabbing his new mp3 player. "I was listening to some songs on my new mp3 player. They're real catchy. You should listen to some of them. You have an mp3 player too, right?"

Sakura ignored his question then eyed the mp3 player she had gifted him. She looked back at him with a small eyeroll and said, "Naruto, you can't just go about loudly singing songs at random…"

"I wasn't singing it at random. I was singing it for you to show my appreciation for the gift. Now I can have my favorite songs with me wherever I am."

Sakura paused for a second then let out a hushed, "Oh…" after realizing why he was singing. She thought about it for a second then said, "Well, that's a very extreme way to show your appreciation…" resulting in a small shrug from Naruto.

After thinking about it for a bit longer, she shot him a small squint and finished, "…but I guess you would do something like that…"

Naruto let out a wide grin and said, "Yep! Sure would!"

Sakura let out a small eyeroll then wore an appreciative smile. Although she'd never admit it, the small gesture was incredibly endearing and maybe even a little cute. She let out a small chuckle then sighed and said, "Thanks, I guess… Just don't make a habit out of it, ok?"

Naruto thought about it then wore an eye-closed smile as he gave a mischievous chuckle.

Sakura eyed him suspiciously then asked, "What does that mean?"

Naruto put his mp3 player back in his pocket then gave her a large grin and said, "Oh, nothing…"

All of the endearment Sakura was feeling flew out the window as she gave him a menacing glare and said in a chastising voice, "Naruto, you better not be planning on coming back here singing again…"

"Sorry, Sakura-chan. No promises!" said Naruto as he reached into his pocket and turned up the volume. He did a 180 and started singing again as he jogged away dancing to the beat of the song.

"…_(Insert whatever lyrics are playing as you listen)…"_

"Narutooooo!"

* * *

_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


	3. Chapter 3

**READER INFO:**

I'm uploading two chapters together once more. Chapter 3 is kinda short and Chapter 4 is kinda long so, hopefully, it balances out. Also, a special shout-out to Naru285 for leaving me a couple of reviews. Thanks a lot, I really appreciate it and it's very encouraging! Without further ado, I hope you all enjoy the chapter(s)!

Ch. 3

Day 2 (12:40 PM) -** *Start Playing: Just The Way You Are – Bruno Mars* (Preferable to use a lyric video instead of the official video for timing purposes)**

Sakura had just finished up a tasty salad for lunch and was getting ready to go back to work when she heard a familiar voice singing another song. She let out a small sigh and thought to herself, _'There's no way that idiot came back again. He wouldn't…would he?'_

Sakura dropped her head and tried to listen to hear the song a bit better. It sounded like it may be a newer song than the song from yesterday, but she couldn't tell for sure because the singing was muffled. She couldn't even really make out the lyrics. She just caught pieces of the song here and there.

"_Her eyes, her eyes….they're not shinin'…._

…_..perfectly without her trying….."_

It sounded like it may actually be a nice song if it weren't for how obnoxiously loud it was being sung. Sakura let out another small sigh then dropped her head in slight embarrassment as she walked through the cafeteria. A few people had heard Naruto's singing during his little visit yesterday and unfortunately, Ino was one of them. As a result, it had gotten out that Naruto's visit was due to Sakura gifting him an mp3 player. _'Sometimes it hurts to have a gossip as a friend…_' Sakura thought with a small sigh. She kept her head bowed to try to block out a few snickers she heard coming from the lunchroom as she promptly pushed her way through the lunchroom doors to start following the sound. It sounded like it might be coming from the same hallway they had met in the day before. The words were still so muffled that she couldn't fully make out the lyrics though.

"…_I say…"_

"Stop it!" scolded Sakura in a hushed voice as she finally spotted Naruto at one end of the hallway and started marching towards him with furrowed eyebrows.

Naruto quickly reached into his pocket to turn down the volume before raising both of his hands in front of himself defensively. He gave a nervous chuckle as Sakura reached where he was standing then said, "Hiya Sakura-chan."

Sakura crossed her arms and said, "Don't _'Hiya Sakura-chan' _me after you had the nerve to come back and embarrass me again today."

Naruto tilted his head innocently then tried to act like he was confused. "Embarrass?"

Sakura dropped both eyes and replied, "Yes, Naruto, embarrass… Ino was around when you came here yesterday and now half of the staff knows that you only bounced in here singing yesterday because I gave you that mp3 player. Now that you've come here two days in a row, I'm sure even more people are gonna find out." she said with an exasperated sigh.

Naruto put both hands behind his head with a wide smile then asked, "What's so wrong with that?"

Sakura grabbed him by the collar of his jacket then shook him violently. "The problem is that I work here you nimrod!" She pounded one fist on his chest and said, "It's embarrassing Naruto!"

Naruto looked away with an exaggerated eye roll then said, "Ahhhhh, fine…"

Sakura eyed him suspiciously then slowly let go of his jacket as she brushed the wrinkled part flat. "So you promise not to come here tomorrow…" she said in a voice that made it sound like more of a statement than a question.

Naruto straightened out his jacket completely then took a huge step back with a mischievous smile and said, "I never said that…" while leaning forward a bit. He bit his lip then reached into his pocket and turned up the volume. Sakura cast him the most menacing glare she could muster then growled out, "If you come here tomorrow, you better not be singing Naruto. If you are, I swear…"

Naruto started singing and acted like he couldn't hear her.

"…_(Insert whatever lyrics are playing as you listen)…"_

Sakura was not fooled. "I know you can still hear me Naruto! If you come back here singing tomorrow, I'll put you in the hospital permanently!" she yelled before stomping away in a flurry.

* * *

_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

Day 3 (11:58 AM) - ***Start Playing: Amber – 311***

Sakura had just gone on her break and was getting ready to walk into the lunchroom when she heard a soft voice coming from one of the patient rooms. It was definitely someone singing another song. At first, she thought that it was Naruto again, but this couldn't be Naruto. The singing wasn't obnoxiously loud enough for it to be him, and on top of that, the singing actually sounded pretty good. It had a more mellow vibe than the two previous songs, and as she got closer, she noticed that she actually knew this song. It was one of her favorites. _'It can't be Naruto…' _she thought with a slightly puzzled look as she continued to head towards the sound.

"_Brainstorm, take me away from the norm…"_

As Sakura got closer to the room where the sound was coming from, she couldn't help but notice that it actually sounded more and more like that blond knucklehead was the one doing the singing. She had known him so long that she could recognize his voice anywhere. _'Since when did that idiot actually learn how to sing…' _she thought to herself with a confused frown. She finally reached the room he was in and found him staring out of the window as he began to sing the song' chorus.

"…_I had to put it in a song, and it goes like_

_Whoa, amber is the color of your energy…"_

After that line, Naruto stopped for a second then turned around with a small smile. He turned down the music then gave Sakura a soft smile and said, "Hey Sakura-chan."

Sakura leaned against the doorway as she cast him an inquisitive stare. "Since when did you learn how to sing?"

Naruto kept his hands in his pockets and started walking towards her. "A while ago, I just keep it a secret. It was around the time I was traveling with Pervy Sage. He always said singing was something I had to learn because it worked wonders with the ladies."

Sakura shook her head and said, "Why am I not surprised. It was always about the ladies with him..."

Naruto thought about it then said, "Eh, not always. He had his moments." wearing a small smile at the thought of his former sensei.

After a short pause, Naruto squinted at Sakura and said, "So…I thought you said that if I came in here singing again, you'd make sure I had to be put in the hospital permanently." Naruto looked at himself from head to toe and finished, "So far I don't have a scratch…" while wearing a proud smile.

Sakura looked a little caught off guard by the question but decided to cover it up with a shrug. "Well, you weren't as obnoxious with your singing today, and you know that I kinda like that song…"

She crossed both of her arms over her chest and argued, "I'm not heartless you know…"

Naruto looked up to the side with a hand on his chin and said, "Errhhh, that's debatable…"

Sakura responded by punching him in the shoulder and saying, "Very funny..."

Naruto responded with a playful, "Ow…" as he rubbed his shoulder.

Sakura leered at him and said, "You'll be alright."

"And that makes it ok?…" said Naruto with a playful smile.

Sakura stood her ground with a sassy glare and replied, "Well, I didn't tell you to come to my job and start singing your lungs out, so whatever happens while you're here is your fault."

Naruto gave a small chuckle and said, "Ah, I see. So, I guess I should get going then…"

Sakura propped both hands on her hips then stepped into the doorway and said, "Nope. You're not going anywhere until you finish the song."

"You actually want to hear me sing?" asked Naruto with a surprised but playful smile.

Sakura matched his smile with a playful smile of her own and said, "Not really, but maybe if you have to sing for me, you'll feel some of the embarrassment I feel whenever you come here. And maybe if you feel some of what I feel, you'll actually stop with these annoying little visits…" she said while patting him on the head.

Naruto raised a hand to his chest and said, "Ouch…" acting like he had been hurt by her words.

Sakura smiled then crossed her arms and said, "I lost all sympathy for you when you came in here again yesterday…" She quickly wiped the smile from her face and sternly said, "Now sing."

Naruto gave her a small scowl and mumbled, "You're mean…"

Sakura responded with a raised eyebrow and simply nodded to signal for him to get to singing.

Naruto scrunched up his top lip as he gave another small scowl then proceeded to restart the song on his mp3 player. Sakura immediately stretched out her hand and snatched one of the earphones out of his ear. "I'm gonna listen too." she said while casting him a teasing smile. "I wanna hear how close you sound to the actual song…"

Naruto started scratching the back of his head and said, "That's really not necessary Sakura-chan…"

Sakura gave a small shrug to show she didn't care what he thought then said, "The song's starting, so get to singing…"

Naruto let out a bit of an annoyed grunt then obliged as he waited for the song to start.

"_Brainstorm, take me away from the norm'_

_I've got to tell you something…"_

As Naruto continued to sing, Sakura couldn't stop a tender smile from creeping up to her lips. It was so unusual to see this version of Naruto. Usually, he was such a jokester that it gave him this larger than life personality, and when he wasn't being a jokester, he was literally the strongest shinobi alive. Seeing him singing his lungs out on a normal song just made him look so utterly…human.

"_Whoa, amber is the color of your energy_

_Whoa, shades of gold display naturally…"_

As he continued to sing, she was tempted to join in at some points, but in the end, she decided it was worth not singing if only to watch him squirm under her intense scrutiny. As far as she was concerned, he deserved it after embarrassing her for the past couple of days.

After he was done, he cleared his throat a bit then asked, "Soooo…what did you think?"

Sakura smiled then gave him a pat on the back and said, "That wasn't half bad."

"You really think so?" responded Naruto with a proud grin.

"Yep, and I've got it all recorded." she said while pulling out a small recorder she had hidden in her back pocket. She waved it in his face and said, "Now if you come here singing again, I'll be sure to show everyone we know just how talented you are." She raised an eyebrow tauntingly and said, "Maybe I'll start with Sasuke…"

Naruto let out a shocked gasp after realizing he'd been set up then said, "You tricked me..."

Sakura wore a satisfied smirk and said, "Sure did. I was initially planning on recording you while you obnoxiously sang some random song, but since you decided to actually sing properly today, I'll have to take what I can get."

She wore a smug smirk and finished, "I've learned by now that the only way to make you stop is to stoop to your level."

Naruto wagged a finger at her disapprovingly and said, "You're getting smarter Sakura-chan…in a bad way…"

"Yeah, I know. Now get outta here and don't come back..." responded Sakura as she stashed the recorder into her back pocket with a proud smirk.

Naruto leaned forward to squint at Sakura for a few seconds then slowly nodded and said, "Nice. I like it…" as he let out a small grin. He then swung both hands behind his head and started walking away.

"Thank you." replied Sakura with a bit of cheeky smile as she walked off in the opposite direction.

Naruto smiled to himself as he glanced over his shoulder at Sakura's retreating form. _'Sakura-chan is getting good at this game but you can't surpass the master… Time to think about how I'm gonna retaliate…' _he thought with a wicked smile.

* * *

_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


	5. Chapter 5

**READER INFO:**

Hello everyone! This chapter is on the longer side since things are progressing in the story. Hopefully, you guys enjoy it and if you do, be sure to let me know what you thought! Thanks and happy reading!

Ch. 5

Day 4 (9:33 AM) – **Song Selection: Not Yet Revealed**

Naruto and Sasuke had just finished up an early training session and were now eating breakfast at one of their usual stops. They were sitting in a booth talking about random things and Naruto had cleverly moved the conversation onto the subject of his recent hospital visits. They had been talking for a while and Sasuke was growing a little tired of the conversation. He raised a hand to his temple and asked in his usual monotone voice, "So, why do I need to know that you can sing?"

"Because Sakura-chan is threatening to play a recording of me singing to you and everyone else I know. If I tell everyone myself, she loses her leverage. Besides, I don't care all that much if other people know I can sing. I wouldn't be singing around the hospital if I did."

Sasuke squinted a bit then let out a tired sigh. "It's very unnerving how crafty you can be when it suits your purposes."

Naruto wore a proud smile and boasted, "What can I say, it's natural…"

Sasuke stared at him with a blank expression and said, "You're crazy, especially if you go through with this plan of yours."

"Tch. I'm going through with it so you might as well just come to the hospital and see it for yourself." replied Naruto while giving a bit of a scoff.

Sasuke shook his head slowly while looking off into the distance. "She's gonna kill you."

Naruto wore a wide grin and said, "Oh, I know she will…but it'll be so worth it…"

…

Location: Konoha Hospital Cafeteria.

Sakura took a sip from her glass of water then glanced at her watch to check the time. 12:55 PM. Ino noticed she'd been checking the time all throughout their lunch break and decided to tease her about it a bit. "Checking to see where your admirer is?" Ino asked while biting her tongue tauntingly.

Sakura looked like she was caught slightly off guard by the question but quickly recovered with a proud smirk and replied, "Nope! I took care of him yesterday."

Ino rested both elbows on the table as she leaned towards Sakura and asked, "Took care of him? What do you mean?"

Sakura gave a small shrug and said, "Yesterday I might've recorded him singing…and threatened to show everyone starting with Sasuke if he came back again…"

Ino leaned forward a bit more now and said, "You did what?!"

Sakura gave a triumphant smile and said, "Yep! I've just been checking the time because I was curious to see if he'd have the nerve to come back after that."

Ino gave Sakura an indignant glare and said, "His visits were actually fun though!"

"Not if you were the one being embarrassed…" replied Sakura as she took another small sip of water.

Ino's mouth turned into a thin line as she stared back at her friend. "Come on, Forehead. It wasn't all that bad." she said with a bit of a frown. "I'm gonna miss having that idiot singing around here at random…" She raised an eyebrow with a sly smirk then leaned forward and said in a singsongy voice, "…and if you're honest, I know you'll miss him too…"

Sakura pretended not to notice Ino's subtle innuendo and said, "No, not really." trying her best to feign indifference.

Ino examined her friend closely then tilted her head to the side with a small smile and said, "Forehead, I've been your best friend for years, so I want you to be honest with me, _and with yourself..._ Are you really telling me that you don't want him around?"

Sakura let out a small sigh then decided to finally take her blond friend seriously. She thought about the question for a few seconds then said, "Well..." but was unable to find any other words. After a few seconds had passed, she simply gave Ino a small shrug while looking through her cup of water. Despite her pride at winning the little game between her and Naruto, she couldn't shake the feeling that the day was missing something. It felt a little bland if she was honest. Like it needed something to spice it up, or rather someone…

Ino examined the half-sad expression on her friend's face and softly said, "You miss him, don't you?"

Sakura let out a half-smile and softly replied, "Maybe…" while fidgeting around with her cup of water.

Ino gave Sakura a gentle smile and said, "Forehead, why don't you just-"

Just then, a semi-loud screeching sound echoed through the cafeteria followed by a familiar voice coming through the hospital speakers. "Is this thing on?..." asked a scratchy masculine voice as a few taps were heard on the microphone.

'_There's no way…' _thought Sakura as her eyes opened so wide that it looked like they may roll out of her head. Ino froze in shock then looked across the table to Sakura who seemed to be even more confused than she was.

'_I have to be hearing things.'_ thought Sakura as she turned towards a speaker to listen a little closer now.

Meanwhile, in the audio room…

The audio technician pushed a few more buttons then gave Naruto a thumbs up and said, "We're all good."

"Awesome!" replied Naruto with a wide smile. He took a deep breath then smiled a bit more at the thought of what he was about to do. He chuckled a bit then mumbled to himself, "I am so dead…"

He let out one last sigh then turned and said, "Hit it Lou!"

***Start Playing: You'll Never Find – Lou Rawls***

As soon as the music started, Ino lifted her hands to her mouth in shock although she couldn't stop a naughty smile from creeping onto her face as she looked at her pink-haired friend's now mortified expression.

Sakura quickly stood up and ran out of the lunchroom in an attempt to block out all of the snickers and giggles, and also because she was determined to find Naruto before the song lyrics started. The only words Ino heard as Sakura left were repeated echoes of, "I'm gonna kill him…"

Sasuke stood in a dark corner of the cafeteria shaking his head with a small smile. "The dobe's actually doing it…"

"I'll kill him. I'll kill him. I'll kill him. I'll kill him…" repeated Sakura as she marched through the hospital hallways while gritting her teeth together in anger. When she found that blond imbecile, she'd kill him, bring him back to life, then kill him again. In the past, she had told him about some of her favorite songs, and now he was using them against her. First, he sung Amber yesterday and now this. _'At this rate, I'll end up hating the songs instead!'_ she thought with an angry growl.

"_You'll never find…"_

Sakura angry expression was replaced by an exasperated one as she let out an annoyed whine noticing the lyrics were starting and she still hadn't found the audio room.

"…_Someone who loves you TENDAAAAAAA like I do…"_

Sakura winced at how much emphasis he put on tender and mumbled, "Naruto, I hate you so much right now…" as she kept searching for the audio room. She was sure she had passed it countless times while on her shifts but now she couldn't remember for the life of her where it was.

"…_Someone who cares about you…"_

She let out an angry grunt then decided that if she couldn't remember where the audio room was, she'd just have to find him as a ninja. She stopped in place then closed her eyes as she tried to search for the familiar chakra. After a few seconds, she was able to sense where he was and mumbled to herself, "Oh, he's gonna pay…" as she started strutting towards the audio room.

Meanwhile, in the audio room…

"…_But I'm the one who loves you_

_And there's no one else! NooOOoooOOOoooooOOOOOoooooooOOOOO_OOHHH! Sakura-chan…" finished Naruto as his voice changed to a noticeably higher pitch after realizing Sakura had just burst into the audio room. Sakura never once took her eyes off him and said, "Uzumaki, you are so dead…"

Naruto gave a nervous chuckle as he lifted both arms defensively and said, "Now Sakura-chan… Let's just talk about this for a second…"

Sakura ignored him completely and started stomping towards him so hard that it felt like it was a mini earthquake approaching. "You big blond jerk…" she muttered while approaching him.

Naruto held out both hands then starting stammering over words in an attempt to calm her down. "Uhhh, you recorded me yesterday, so I had to retaliate!" he stuttered out while subconsciously taking a few steps back. "Yeah, that's it!"

"So, in retaliation, you blast this song over the hospital speakers?!" she yelled, finally stopping her march towards him.

"Well, yeah, I've gotta be unpredictable, remember…" he said hoping that would calm her down a bit. "You know me Sakura-chan, I had to get payback for yesterday." He raised an eyebrow and said, "If anything, this is kinda your fault…"

As soon as those words left Naruto's mouth, he knew he had sealed his fate. "THAT'S IT!" yelled Sakura before sprinting towards him.

"No, no, no! That didn't come out right!" he said in a desperate attempt to backtrack. The time for talking was obviously over. Naruto saw her sprinting towards him and immediately curled his body against the wall in an attempt to protect his vital organs. He knew it was no use talking to her now. Sakura Haruno had officially been triggered. The lunchroom burst into laughter as the music track kept playing through the speakers but with some very violent and unusual sounds being heard in the background.

Kakashi had also been hanging around the hospital per Sasuke's request and couldn't help but laugh a bit at the stupidity that was taking place. He shoved both hands in his pockets as he started walking away then simply said, "Ah, love…" while wearing a somewhat wistful smile.

_Later that day…_

Sakura was once again stomping through a set of hallways with an angry frown plastered across her face. This time she was in the Hokage Building and quickly stomping her way towards the Hokage office. She was planning on going to Tsunade and making a very specific request.

Upon reaching the Hokage office door, she banged on it three times not caring that her anger was threatening to have her break the door down.

A few seconds later, Kakashi opened the door while giving her an eye-closed smile and said, "Come in." As soon as Sakura walked in, Kakashi promptly excused himself and left while hiding an amused smile.

Sakura looked towards Tsunade and Shizune who were now the only two in the room then turned to Tsunade and said, "Shisou, can we talk alone for a minute please?"

Tsunade kept her face serious and asked, "Well, is it really important that we do it now? Me and Shizune were kind of working on something before you got here…"

Sakura let out an exasperated sigh then decided she wasn't about to waste the little energy she had trying to argue anything. She had been through enough today. She raised a hand to her temple and said, "Whatever. Shizune probably knows anyway since she's around the hospital more."

Sakura stood with arms crossed and began speaking. "In case you didn't know, Naruto has been trolling me at the hospital by singing songs on my lunch breaks. He says it's his way of showing his appreciation for me getting him an mp3 player for Christmas. Now, I'll admit, at first, I didn't think his visits were that big of a deal, but now he's going too far. Today he sang _You'll Never Find_ OVER THE HOSPITAL SPEAKERS! He's flat out humiliating me Shisou!" whined Sakura as she wore a depressed frown. Sakura was about to continue her rant but stopped after noticing Tsunade and Shizune were now trying their hardest not to laugh.

Sakura's anger bubbled over at the sight then she balled up both fists as she propped them on her hips angrily. She cast Tsunade an enraged glare and yelled, "You already knew!"

Tsunade smiled and said, "Kakashi might've mentioned what happened when he was in here..."

"So, he was at the hospital too… I should've known that little gray-haired rat was here for a reason…" snarled Sakura while looking away angrily.

"Now Sakura, that's no way to talk about your Sensei." said Tsunade while still laughing to herself a bit.

"I think Traitor would be a more appropriate title for him…"

Tsunade shrugged and said, "Maybe…but, regardless, what do you even want me to do? You, of all people should know that if Naruto makes up his mind to do something there's nothing anyone can do to change it."

Sakura dropped her arms to her side and half yelled, "YOU CAN DO ANYTHING! Give him a mission, confine him to his apartment, or lock him up for all I care! Just make him STOP!" she finished with a whimper.

Tsunade cast Sakura a tender smile and said, "I'm sorry Sakura, but according to Kakashi and Ino, Naruto's antics have actually been good for the hospital. Patients are in higher spirits, especially among the elderly population, and I've heard that most patients are actually looking forward to lunchtime nowadays…"

"But I'm not! Me!... The Head Medic!" yelled Sakura with a deflated look. She took a deep breath to calm herself down then said, "Shisou, I already roughed him up a bit, so I don't think he'll try anything else. I'm just asking you to _make sure_ he doesn't try anything else."

Tsunade shook her head while smiling and replied, "I'm sorry Sakura, but from what I'm hearing, it sounds like this may actually be a good thing. So, if you were expecting me to try to stop him somehow, I'm sorry to disappoint, but no."

Sakura propped her arms onto the desk as she leaned forward with an exasperated sigh and said, "_Please, Shisou…_" in the most pitiful voice she could muster.

"NooOOoooOOOooooOOOOoooooOOOOO… No way…" sang Tsunade before bursting out into a hysterical fit of laughter. Shizune tried to hold in her laughter but hearing Tsunade cackling was too much for her and she couldn't help falling into a fit of laughter herself.

"URGH! I hate you guys!" yelled Sakura as she spun around and left, slamming the door behind her.

Tsunade and Shizune simply laughed at what had happened until their stomachs hurt. When they were done laughing with each other, they decided it would be best if they got back to work. It was nice to have the break for a bit though.

* * *

_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


	6. Chapter 6

**READER INFO:**

Hi everyone. Sorry, it took me a bit longer than usual to get this chapter out but I've been so busy that it couldn't be helped. I hope you all enjoy it.

Ch. 6

Day 5 (9:27 AM)** – Song Selection: Not Yet Revealed**

Location: Hokage's Office

Naruto started laughing a bit at what had just been suggested and said, "NOOOOO way!" as he began to rise from his chair. Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him and said, "Now hold on a second…" He slowly made Naruto sit back down and said, "Let's not be too hasty... I think this could actually be a good thing for the hospital. The patients love your little visits."

Naruto snorted and replied, "Yeah, great for the hospital and deadly for me. Sorry, but I pass."

"Naruto, I thought you were supposed to like doing these types of things…" said Tsunade while wearing a teasing expression.

Naruto used his left hand to lift his shirt and reveal a few bandages, then slightly lifted his right arm which was in a cast. "I do Granny Tsunade, but I also like not having to feel pain all over my body." He once again rose from his chair then said, "I'm not making Sakura-chan mad again anytime soon."

"Why are you complaining so much? Don't you heal way faster because of Kurama?" asked Kakashi.

Naruto gave an annoyed eye roll and replied, "Why does everyone think that having a healing factor somehow translates to not feeling pain?"

Tsunade brushed aside the comment and said, "Look, it doesn't matter. Isn't the prank itself enough? I know the prankster side of you wants to do this, so just do it."

Naruto turned to Tsunade with a smile and said, "I'm not gonna lie, the prankster in me does want to do this, _buuuuut_ the survivor in me is very adamantly telling me not to do this…so I won't do it."

"Just let me heal you up a bit and you'll be fine." said Tsunade with a seemingly innocent smile.

Naruto dropped both eyes and said, "So let me get this straight… You're gonna heal me up just so that I can go do something that will cause Sakura-chan to beat me up again?"

Kakashi smiled and said, "Exactly!"

Naruto laughed a bit as he started walking away and said, "You guys are crazy…"

Before Naruto reached the door, Kakashi decided to try the only asset he had left. He summoned the most enticing voice he could manage and said, "I could take you to Ichiraku's after…"

Naruto let out a small sigh and said, "My answer isn't changing, Sensei." as he reached for the door.

Kakashi's shoulders dropped a bit but he wasn't planning on giving up that easily. "What if I promised you a week's worth of Ichiraku's?" asked the gray-haired nin with a bit of a squint.

Naruto let out an exasperated sigh then turned around and asked, "Why is this so important to you guys?"

Kakashi gave a small chuckle and said, "Well, Tsunade's in it for the laughs. Me, on the other hand…" He scratched his head a bit and continued, "Uhhh… How should I put this?..."

Tsunade gave a roll of her eyes and said, "What Kakashi is trying to say is that he's been on a betting spree. He's convinced you're gonna do it, so he's been betting with anyone who will pay him any attention."

Naruto turned to Kakashi with a squint and said, "Now it makes sense…"

Kakashi gave one of his eye-closed smiles and said, "What can I say? I have the utmost faith in you, Naruto."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure you do…"

Kakashi gave an impish chuckle at Naruto's reply then said, "Come on, Naruto. Just do your old Sensei a solid one last time. I've got a lot to lose here…"

He looped an arm around Naruto's shoulder and added, "Besides, you know you want to do it anyway…" while wearing a somewhat evil smile under his mask. The smile was rather unsettling if Naruto was honest.

Naruto let out an annoyed sigh as he thought about it. After standing there in silence for a while, he finally resigned himself and said, "Fine, I'll do it…but I want Ichiraku for two weeks! Two weeks, you hear?!"

Kakashi used his arm to pull the blond a little closer and said, "You drive a hard bargain, but you've got a deal! Two weeks' worth of Ichiraku's."

Tsunade chuckled and said, "This is gonna be priceless."

Naruto wagged a finger towards Tsunade and said, "And you also have to promise me that you'll be around to heal me after. Yesterday, Ino had to do it!"

"Oh, trust me…" started Tsunade as she let out a small laugh. "…I'll be around to heal you. I wouldn't miss it…"

She sat up straight in her chair then waved in Naruto's direction and said, "Well, you better get over here so I can heal you up the best I can. That Ichiraku's won't be worth anything if you're too dead to enjoy it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." grunted Naruto as he slithered out of Kakashi's grip and walked over to Tsunade.

As she started to tend to his injuries, all Naruto could do was sit and wonder just what he had gotten himself into.

…

Location: Konoha Hospital. 12:47 PM.

"Come on, Forehead. He likes you and you know it. How else would you explain the fact that all the songs he's singing are love songs?" asked Ino before taking a bite of salad.

Sakura finished the food in her mouth then said, "He essentially trolled me with the 1st song, I didn't even really hear the 2nd one, and he only sang the 3rd and 4th ones because he knew I liked them." Sakura took a sip of water and continued, "Besides, if he liked me, he wouldn't be coming over here and purposefully humiliating me over these past few days."

Ino laughed while using her fork to pick up some more salad. "You know Naruto's a weirdo. That's just his way of showing his _love_." she said in a singsongy voice. "Why don't you actually listen to some of the songs, then see if you feel differently."

Sakura snorted and said, "I'll pass. Those songs are now permanently etched into my brain as bad memories. I don't care if I never hear them again…"

Ino dropped her head and said, "Are you serious?" in a somewhat annoyed tone.

"Uh, yeah." replied Sakura without missing a beat.

Just then, Kakashi and Tsunade walked up to a table near the two kunoichis and sat down. Kakashi gave a small wave and said, "Don't mind us. We're just waiting for Shizune to finish up some paperwork for us. We thought we'd grab a bite to eat while she finished up."

Sakura refused to look at Kakashi and said, "Whatever…" not hiding the fact that she was upset about Kakashi's blabbing to Tsunade the day before. Kakashi let out a nervous chuckle and decided it best not to say anything. He simply turned to face Tsunade and whispered, "If she's mad now, then I'm almost afraid of what she'll be like soon…" Tsunade wore a sideways smile and whispered back, "You don't need to tell me…"

Sakura ignored the whispers coming from Kakashi and Tsunade then turned to Ino and said, "As I was saying, those songs are now connected with the memories of me being humiliated. I've filed them away as bad memories and, hopefully, my brain will repress them one day…"

Ino put her elbow on the table to lean on the palm of her hand then gave a small smile and said, "Forehead, you are something else."

Sakura shrugged nonchalantly then took another sip of water. While she was putting her cup down, she noticed Shikamaru and Choji walking up to their table.

After exchanging greetings, she furrowed her eyebrows at the two and asked, "What are you guys doing here?"

Shikamaru wore his usual lazy stare then pointed a thumb towards Choji and said, "Choji has a doctor's appointment. We were already hanging out, so I decided to keep him company."

"Oh ok...but why are you guys in the cafeteria?" asked Sakura still looking a little confused.

Choji gave an awkward smile while holding up some applesauce he had picked up in the food line and replied, "I like having hospital applesauce before an appointment. I don't know why but it helps me calm my nerves."

Sakura looked at him a little weirdly and said, "Whatever works for you…" deciding she probably didn't want to know much more than that. Shikamaru chuckled a bit at her silence and said, "Don't mind us. We'll just be sitting over there." while pointing to a table that was pretty close to theirs.

Ino nodded as the two sat down but noticed that Sakura was giving them an unreadable glance. "What's wrong?" the blond asked with a bit of a frown.

Sakura looked at them and replied, "Nothing, it's just been an unusual day… First, Kakashi and Tsunade have to grab some paperwork and now Choji has a doctor's appointment…"

Ino looked towards the two and said, "It is a bit strange. I didn't even know anything about him having a hospital appointment and those two usually tell me everything…"

Sakura squinted at them a bit more as she started to think about what was wrong with this picture. Usually, Naruto would be one of her only visitors in the hospital. She was used to seeing people like Ino and Shizune around, and maybe the occasional Kakashi, but just about everyone else steered clear of the hospital for the most part. Tsunade was usually buried under paperwork in the Hokage's office but for some reason, she had to pick up whatever paperwork she and Kakashi were waiting for personally? Something wasn't adding up…

After thinking about it for a bit longer, Sakura felt a headache coming on and decided to just drop it. She turned to Ino with a small smile and said, "Just drop it, Ino. I'm probably just being paranoid anyway."

If only she had known...

"AHEM!" was the sound heard through the hospital speakers as Naruto's scratchy voice called for everyone's attention.

'_You've gotta be kidding me…'_ thought Sakura as an annoyed frown crept up to her face. Ironically, everyone else in the cafeteria was starting to smile at the same time.

In the audio room…

Naruto once again shook his head at the thought of what he was about to do then looked over to Lou and quickly warned, "As soon as it starts, you better get out of here or you'll be collateral damage..."

Lou looked at Naruto with an unsure look and said, "Are you sure you really want to do this, man?"

Naruto looked at him with a wide smile and said, "No, not really…" then finished with, "…but since when do I get what I want…" while turning back to the microphone with a smile.

The audio technician laughed a bit then pushed a button and said, "Good luck, kid." as he walked out of the room.

Naruto took a deep breath as he waited for the metronome to start counting down to let him know when he should start. _'No backing down now…' _he thought with a small smile. Before he was finished that thought, the rhythmic ticking of the metronome started…

4, 3, 2, 1…

***Start Playing: Treasure – Bruno Mars***

Naruto smiled into the microphone and said, _"Sakura Haruno, you's a sexy m0t#3rf^c%3r…" _

As soon as he finished the statement, the music started, and the blond knucklehead was blissfully singing once again.

"_Give me your, give me your, give me your attention baby (attention baby)…"_

This time, instead of snickers and giggles, the lunchroom burst into laughter with a large portion of the people starting to cheer at the blond idiot's relentless attitude and another portion joining him in his blissful rendition of the song.

"…_oooh you're a sexy lady (sexy lady)…"_

Tsunade nearly fell out of her chair laughing while Kakashi found himself holding his stomach from his bout of laughter. Shikamaru and Choji were laughing so hard that they looked like they might blow a gasket, and Ino was now laughing harder than the two of them combined. Even Sasuke couldn't resist chuckling to himself from his dark corner. But with all of the laughing and cheering, there was one person who wasn't laughing at all. Sakura Haruno. Sakura turned redder than a tomato from embarrassment and anger before clenching a raised fist and yelling at the top of her lungs, "I'M GONNA KILL THAT KID!" while running out of the lunchroom and towards the audio room as fast as her legs could carry her.

"…_Oh girl, I'm gonna show you when you're mine, oh, mine (mine, oh, mine)_

_Treasure…"_

"I'm. Gonna. Kill. Him." muttered Sakura through ragged breaths as she neared the audio room.

"…_you're my golden star_

_You know you can make my wish come true…"_

"Oh, I'll make your wish come true alright…" interrupted Sakura from the doorway as she gave him a death glare scarier than the ones he used to get from Yamato.

Naruto turned to the pink-haired girl who looked like she practically had steam coming out of her ears then gulped a bit and said, "Oh, Sakura-chan... You got here a lot quicker than yesterday…"

Sakura cracked her knuckles as she marched into the room and said, "Yeah, I didn't have any trouble finding the audio room…BECAUSE YOU DID THE SAME THING YESTERDAY!" while landing a punch across his head and proceeding to pummel him with heavy punches as best she could. Naruto once again curled up into a ball in the corner while trying to protest. He tried everything from acting like he was in more pain then he was actually in, to letting her know it wasn't his idea. None of it worked though, and just as Naruto had feared, he was left all alone having to deal with the rage of a very angry Sakura.

* * *

_Author's Note_

PLEASE feel free to leave reviews on this story. I do enjoy reading reviews and if I see good ideas as to where the story can go, I do listen to them. Reviews are not only very encouraging but they also help me get better. Be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

_The next day._

"Hey there, _Sexy Lady._" called two nurses as they giggled to themselves and walked past Sakura in the hallway. Sakura looked at them and gave a forced smile as she kept walking at a deliberate pace. Normally, she would've tried to contain some type of negative reaction, but she had already been bombarded by a multitude of people making references to yesterday's events and she had settled into simply ignoring them. She couldn't go back in time and change anything so there was no point in constantly exploding every time someone said something. It would only raise her blood pressure and keep her angry throughout the day. She decided that she would just have to accept all of the weird and annoying things people were saying to her for now. It couldn't last forever right? At least she hoped not…

'_That Naruto is something else...'_ she thought to herself while shaking her head with a frown. She wondered if he thought it was worth it. The first time she beat him up for singing over the hospital speakers, she had held back a little, but yesterday was a different story. She hadn't held much back, and she remembered him being in pretty bad shape after she left him. She was sure that even with his healing factor he would probably need to take a little time off to completely heal. She would feel bad about hurting him so much if she didn't feel like he deserved it. Of all the things he could do, he had to sing that particular song over the hospital speakers! Just thinking about it was getting her riled up again. She walked into an empty patient room then let out a deep breath as she leaned against the wall.

What frustrated her the most wasn't even what that blond retard did yesterday though. It was the fact that despite him embarrassing her with his constant singing visits and despite him completely humiliating her over the week, she was still just a tad bit worried about him. She had refused to treat him after beating him half to death, but now she found herself worrying about if he had gotten proper medical treatment. Tsunade was around the hospital at the time so she assumed he had been treated by her, but despite that, she still couldn't stop herself from worrying about the blond idiot, even if it was only a tiny bit. She raised a hand to her temple and let out another small sigh as she considered the weird relationship the two of them shared. She had beat up the blond knucklehead only a day ago for completely humiliating her, but she was already back to worrying about him. She wondered why it was so hard for her to stay mad at him. She told herself that it was probably because he was such a likable guy or because of his energetic personality, but in reality, she knew she was just trying to fool herself. She knew the real reason she couldn't stay mad at him and it wasn't nearly as simple as any of the other reasons she had been thinking about. It was a lot more complicated. She dropped her head a bit then let out a small chuckle to herself wondering how she went from being mad at the idiot to being sad that she wasn't in a relationship with him. "Talk about bipolar…" she mumbled to herself with a wry chuckle.

"Having a bad day?"

Sakura quickly turned to the doorway and saw none other than Sasuke standing there with his usual blank stare. She used her back to push herself off the wall then put on a brave smile. "No, I'm fine."

Sasuke ignored her protests and said, "If I knew Naruto's antics would've bothered you this much, I would've stopped him."

"Thanks for trying to help, Sasuke, but that's not it."

The Uchiha examined her for a bit then reasoned that she was telling the truth. "Ok." he simply said. It looked like she was dealing with something personal, so he decided not to push the subject any further. He had his suspicions about what might be bothering her, but if he was right, there wasn't much he could do to help anyway.

After a short pause, he looked down the hallway and said, "I was actually just talking with the dobe."

"Naruto's here at the hospital?" asked Sakura without missing a beat.

"Still worried about him I see," observed Sasuke with a small smile.

Sakura crossed her arms while turning her head away then said, "No, I'm not."

Sasuke gave her a blank stare that showed she didn't look all that convincing.

"I'm not worried about him." she declared in a voice that made it sound like she was trying to convince herself more than anyone.

She stared at Sasuke for a bit and noticed he still wasn't buying it. After a few seconds, she finally turned away with a pout and softly said, "Ok, maybe a little…"

Sasuke gave a small smile at her confession then said, "He's actually on this floor waiting for a follow-up treatment. Tsunade treated most of his injuries yesterday, but even with his healing factor, his body couldn't completely recover in one day. Ino's supposed to treat him after she finishes with one of her patients. You did a real number on him."

"What, like he didn't deserve it?" she retorted.

"I don't know if he deserved all of that…" said Sasuke while looking away at nowhere in particular.

"Sasuke…did you hear what he called me yesterday?" she asked with a bit of her annoyance seeping through into the question.

"Yeah, I heard all of it, but still…"

"I should've known you'd take his side…" she said while squinting at him in a distrusting manner.

"Well, if you saw how he looked, you might feel differently."

Sakura thought about what he had said for a moment then eyed him suspiciously. "Fine… I guess I'll check on him…"

"Weren't you going to do that regardless." he joked with a slight smirk.

"J-J-Just shut up and go…brood or whatever it is you do at this hour." she stammered out while giving him a bit of a side-eye.

Sasuke gave a small smirk then decided it was probably time for him to go. He'd given her Naruto's location, so she could work out her issues with him if she wanted to. "I'll go do that. See you." he said while giving a curt nod and turning away.

"See you around." she replied before turning around to go look for Naruto. She had a good idea of where Ino would be so she was pretty sure finding Naruto wouldn't be too much of a chore.

* * *

Sakura walked into the mental ward of the hospital and started looking around. If her memory served her correctly, Ino should be around that area of the hospital right about now. She rounded the corner of one of the hallways and looked past a few people to see Ino standing outside a patient room, writing in a folder.

"Hey, Ino."

Ino kept writing but replied with a faint smile. "What's up, my _fine_ friend."

Sakura gave an eye roll and said, "Nothing much."

"If you're looking for Naruto, he's sitting in there." she said while motioning towards the hospital room behind her. "I was actually just about to treat him."

Sakura gave an innocent shrug and said, "Who said I was looking for Naruto?"

"Sakura, please. You rarely pay me courtesy visits. Why else would you be down here?"

"Ouch." said Sakura while scrunching up her face comically. "I guess you're right though…" she finished while rubbing her chin. "How long do you think you'll take?"

"I'm not sure. I'm just supposed to be doing some basic medical ninjutsu to help him heal faster. It would probably take less than 5 minutes."

"Oh ok. I'll wait then."

"Yeah, you could wait for me to finish…or I could let you treat him instead." Ino replied while holding out the folder she had been filling out to Sakura with an eye-closed smile.

"I don't know, Ino..." said Sakura while looking towards the room apprehensively.

"What are you talking about, Forehead? Get in there and talk to him. To be honest, you owe him a lot more than that after your little rampage yesterday."

Sakura stared at the folder for a moment before finally caving in and accepting it begrudgingly. "Fine…" she mumbled under her breath.

"Great!" replied Ino while pushing Sakura towards the room. "And I'll be waiting for the details later…"

"I'm sure…"

Sakura opened the door slightly and peered inside. She looked towards the hospital bed and there Naruto was laying down with his eyes closed. As she looked over his body, she started to see what Sasuke meant when he said she went too far. To say he looked like he was in bad shape was an understatement. His neck was in a cast that forced his neck to stay straight, his right arm was still wrapped in the same cast from two days ago, and she could tell that he had a few bandages under his clothing. She felt a little guilty at the sight of him if she was honest. She thought he deserved to get a beatdown but not that much of a beatdown. She examined his injuries for a bit longer then decided to slowly open the door so as not to alarm him.

As soon as the door started opening, Naruto opened his eyes and started turning his head towards the door. When his eyes landed on Sakura there looked to be a cross between shock and apprehension in his eyes. Where did Ino go? And what was the girl who beat him half to a pulp yesterday doing in his room... She couldn't still be mad, could she?... "Ino," he called out with a hint of doubt in his voice. "What's going on?..."

Ino responded by starting to pull the door closed after Sakura had entered. "Uhhh… I've got to take care of another patient." she called from behind the door. "Sakura was nearby so I agreed to let her take care of you."

"N-N-No, No, Nooooooo." stammered Naruto as he jumped off the examining table and started walking towards the door. "We agreed you'd treat me, remember…"

Ino slammed the door shut with him and Sakura inside then used a key to lock it. "Sorry, Naruto. The patient I'm dealing with has a mental problem that can't wait. Sakura will take care of you just fine."

Sakura tried to give a smile that would put him at ease and said, "It's not that big a deal, Naruto. I'm not mad anymore." Unfortunately, the smile came out looking forced and awkward which did nothing to soothe Naruto's fears. "Ino," he growled out while violently shaking the door handle. "Stop playing games and open this door!"

"Sorry, Naruto. Duty calls." she replied while turning to walk away.

"No! Ino!" he called as he used his finger to peer past the curtains. _"Don't leave me…"_ he whined as she rounded a corner.

After a few moments of silence, Sakura raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you done?"

Naruto simply squinted while letting out a low growl.

Sakura rolled both eyes and said, "Get back on the bed."

Naruto sulked all the way back to the bed and let himself plop down onto the right side of it with a pout. Although he was angry, Sakura found him particularly funny to look at. His contorted angry face resulted in his bottom lip poking out comically, and just by how he was sitting, she could tell he would've crossed his arms if one of them wasn't in a cast. Typical Naruto.

"Sit up straight and take off your shirt." she said with a sigh.

Naruto grudgingly obliged, struggling to get the shirt past his arm cast. Sakura would've helped him, but she could still feel the tension in the room, so she left him alone. When he finally got it off, Sakura saw the bandaged-up bruises that were lining his back. She felt a little worse at the sight but decided it would be a good start to just take care of him as promised. She sat down on the left side of the bed then asked, "So, how are you doing?" as she started to use green chakra to heal the bruises across his back.

"I'll be fine." he replied in a slightly hoarse voice.

Sakura looked at him with a bit of concern then asked, "What happened to your voice?"

"Nothing much. It's just that _someone_ crushed my voice box when they grabbed me by the throat yesterday…" he stated while squinting at her from the side.

"Oh…" replied Sakura while making sure to avoid his eyes. Maybe she should apologize. From the looks of things, Sasuke was right, she had gone too far. Even if Naruto had totally humiliated her, she would never want to hurt him to the point where he looked like he did now.

Naruto shifted ever so slightly to watch her reaction and couldn't help feeling a little satisfied at the fact that she looked to be feeling a little guilty. After what he did, he had expected to get beat up pretty bad, but he didn't expect her to completely lose it on him! Maybe that was what it was like when she completely lost her temper... It was hard to believe she had actually been in control every other time she had beat him up over the past few years. In any case, he'd never do anything to piss her off that much again. Lesson learned.

"I'm sorry." she said while keeping her focus on the bruise she was healing. "When you started singing that song yesterday, I just lost it. I was already wound up from the day before and when I realized you were gonna do it again, I just snapped..."

Sakura noticed that his angry scowl started to fade and that he seemed to calm down a bit after that. She let out a small smile realizing that she was getting through to him then decided to tease him a bit for good measure. "You know how I get when I'm angry… If anything, what happened to you is kinda your fault…"

After she said that, Naruto's tough exterior finally cracked as he started chuckling a bit. "So, that's your apology... You're gonna take my words, and twist 'em to justify beating me half to a pulp…" Naruto shook his head a bit then smiled and said, "Ok. After you're done healing me, I'll go grab some Ichiraku's and think about how I'm gonna retaliate."

Sakura laughed a bit and said, "No retaliation, Naruto! Let's just go back to how things were before all of this craziness. Ok?"

"Can't take the heat?"

"No, I can't." Sakura said with a chuckle. "You win."

"Sooooo?" he asked with a sly grin now creeping up to his lips. "What do you say?"

"Really?"

"You have to say it, Sakura-chan."

Sakura let out an annoyed sigh then mumbled, "Never mess with a superior prankster…"

"Ah, that's what I wanted to hear."

"I hate you." she replied while shaking her head and smiling a bit. "You're like an annoying little kid I can't get rid of."

"Well, I hate you a slightly higher amount then." said Naruto with his proud smirk still in place.

Sakura let out a snort and said, "Yeah, right. If that were the case, you wouldn't keep coming here and singing. Just admit it…"

"Admit what?"

"You can't get enough of me." she said while biting her tongue and leaning forward to see his reaction.

"Yeah and look where it got me." he replied while shaking his head.

Sakura couldn't help but giggle a bit at that. "Come on, Naruto. It's not that bad…"

Naruto dropped both eyes then turned his whole body towards her. "Look at me, Sakura-chan. This stupid neck cast makes me have to turn my whole body just to turn my head!"

Sakura couldn't help but giggle a little more at how ridiculous he looked.

"It's not funny, Sakura-chan…" he said while turning away from her so she could continue healing his back.

Sakura giggled for a bit longer before finally forcing herself to stop. "Alright, I went a _little_ overboard…" she said while giving him an apologetic smile.

"Yeah, just a little…" he said sarcastically. "Enough about me, how have you been?"

Sakura gave a shrug of her shoulders and said, "Well, as fine as you can be with people calling you names all day. I've been called treasure, sexy lady, pretty girl and a whole bunch of other things. I have to admit sexy m0t#3rf^c*3r has been the most popular though…"

Naruto started laughing a little more than he should have which resulted in Sakura moderately chastising him. "It's not funny, Naruto." she said while wrinkling her nose.

"Come on, Sakura-chan. It's a little funny." teased Naruto while giving her a playful smile. Sakura kept healing him while shaking her head although there was the slightest smile tugging on her lips. Naruto leaned back so that he was just a few inches from her face and whispered, "You have to think it was at least a teeny bit funny, Sakura-chan."

The hard exterior she was trying to uphold finally melted away as she couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Do you know how many people have called me weird names today?" she sighed while laughing at the absurdity of her life at the moment.

"I'm guessing probably over half the hospital…" he answered while starting to laugh again.

"It's ridiculous Naruto…"

Naruto laughed a bit more then said, "Don't worry Sakura-chan, it'll pass…"

"It better, or I'm coming for you again…" she joked.

Naruto started laughing and said, "I definitely wouldn't want that…"

After the two had laughed together for a bit longer, Sakura examined her lifelong friend with a smile. So much had changed from the time they were kids up to this point. They had both grown so much over the years. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally... And their relationship had grown so much as well. But so much had remained the same as well. Despite everything he'd been through, Naruto was still that kid from so long ago. Still cracking stupid jokes, still pulling stupid pranks, and still more than willing to make a fool of himself if it meant a good laugh. And even though he knew exactly what to do to get under her skin, she loved him for it.

After looking at him for a bit longer, she finally turned away with a bit of a sad smile. "Naruto?" she said in a voice that came out as a whisper.

"Yeah?"

"We'll always be friends, no matter what, right?"

"Of course."

"Even if I told you something that might make things a little awkward?"

"I just humiliated you for nearly a week and we're still friends. I think our friendship is indestructible by now Sakura-chan."

"Yeah, I guess it is." replied Sakura while giving a small smile.

She dropped her hands from his back as she finished healing him, then took a deep breath before she finally spoke up. "I've had something on my mind for a while now. Something I've wanted to talk to you about." She paused for a second, then looked away sadly as she finished, "I just never really worked up the courage to do it…"

Naruto reached out with his free arm to turn her face back to him then gave her a soft smile as he placed his hand over hers. "Give yourself more credit. It looks like you worked up the courage to do whatever it was right now."

Sakura looked at him with a soft smile. "Still reassuring me, huh?"

"Always."

Sakura smiled a bit at that then decided to take the plunge. It was now or never, and there was no point in backing down now. She was going to be honest with him about how she felt at least one time so all she could do was hope he felt the same way. She slowly lifted her emerald green eyes to meet his ocean blue ones as she tried to figure out how to express her feelings. "How do I put this?" she whispered while looking away to think to herself.

"Well it's…" her voice trailed off. "It's just-"

Naruto noticed how nervous she was, so he gave her a small smile and said, "Don't overthink it, Sakura-chan. It's just me."

Sakura let out a small sigh at her failed attempts to communicate her feelings then lifted a hand to rest on the side of his face. Her eyes locked with his before slowly moving down and settling on his slightly chapped lips. "It's _this._" she whispered as she leaned forward to pull him into a soft kiss.

The kiss was awkward, a bit clumsy, and not at all what Sakura expected, but it felt right somehow. Like it was simply meant to be. Naruto didn't seem to mind much either as he shifted ever so slightly to lean into the kiss from his side of the bed. She couldn't be sure that he was feeling exactly what she was feeling, but he had to at least be attracted to her in some way to be kissing her the way he was now. His kisses were slow and passionate, but they had a definite desire in them, maybe even a bit of love...

After she had kissed him for a bit longer, she forced herself to cut the kiss short so she could better gauge his reaction.

The two of them sat there with their foreheads resting against each other. Naruto looking down, his expression unreadable. And Sakura, looking unusually shy, her green eyes looking up to show she was waiting for him to say something, anything...

After a few seconds of silence, Sakura noticed the corner of his mouth turn up ever so slightly. A faint blush adorned her cheeks before she shyly returned the smile.

Naruto chuckled a bit then said, "About damn time."

Sakura's emerald green eyes went wide with what looked to be a mix of shock although there was a rising joy present there as well. "You want _this?_" she whispered.

Naruto smiled then used his hand to brush a strand of pink hair away as he leaned in for another kiss. Sakura's eyelids fell shut of their own accord as she returned the kiss. This time, there was no hesitation, no question hanging in the air, just that moment with the two of them. After pulling away, Naruto flashed her a somewhat naughty smile and replied, "Who wouldn't?"

Sakura wanted to look away to hide the fact that she was blushing like mad, but she relished how close they were, so she decided to mildly chastise him instead. "Naruto stop it." she said with a grin while keeping her forehead pressed to his.

"What?" he replied with a smile of his own. "I mean, look at you. It's true."

Sakura started blushing again but decided to cover it up this time by reaching for a pillow and smacking him square across the face. He let his body fall onto the bed comically and grabbed the other pillow to defend himself. "You're such a smooth talker." she said with a laugh while preparing to smack him again.

"No, I'm not!" he laughed. "I'm just trying to pay you back for all the compliments I couldn't pay you a few years ago."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at that. "Compliments you couldn't pay me?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, come on, Sakura-chan. If I would've said something like what I just said now a few years ago, you would've punched me halfway across Konoha."

Sakura thought about it for a bit then smiled and said, "Yeah, you're probably right." while finally dropping the pillow back onto the bed. She let out a small sigh then used her arm to prop herself up next to him. "I wish I would've talked to you earlier…"

Naruto turned to look up at the ceiling then said, "Yeah, talk about keeping a guy waiting. I thought you'd say something sooner."

"What do you mean?" she asked with confusion starting to take over her features. Naruto simply laid there smiling. She used her arm to prop herself up a bit more, then whispered, "You knew?"

"I'm not nearly as dense as you think I am." he said while looking at her from the side.

Sakura gave him a look of disbelief as her eyes locked with his. "For how long?"

Naruto relaxed a bit then put his free hand under his head before speaking. "I've suspected it for a while now. When you spend a lot of time with someone, you memorize a lot of things. How they look at you, how they smile at you, how they touch you…things like that. A few months ago, I thought that the way you looked at me started changing ever so slightly. I thought I might be going crazy, but then it looked like the way you smiled at me was changing too. I would notice other little things, like you looking at me for a bit longer than usual and in a different way than you used to, or you wanting to touch me but pulling back…"

Sakura was left speechless. She couldn't believe it. Here she was thinking Naruto was a dense idiot and he was secretly observing every little detail of how she acted. The blond, bumbling idiot was just a disguise.

Naruto continued with a soft smile settling on his lips. "Even with everything I just told you, I still doubted whether you liked me or not. Maybe I just couldn't bring myself to believe it." he admitted with a bit of a sad smile. "I've only known for sure since our little Christmas gathering a few days ago."

"The Christmas gathering?" she asked with a hint of curiosity. What had happened at the Christmas gathering that she missed? Was it something she did when he gave her that necklace? Had she touched him a certain way and not noticed she was being a little _too_ friendly?

Naruto smiled while watching the cogs turning in her brain. "You can't guess it Sakura-chan. It's something you didn't know you did."

Sakura looked at him cluelessly for what seemed to be the longest time before finally asking in a soft voice, "What was it?"

Naruto smiled and said, "There was a moment after you gave me that mp3 player where I said that I couldn't not like a gift from my best friend. I wasn't thinking much when I said it, but after saying it I noticed that you just had this…look."

"A look?" she asked, never once taking her eyes off him.

"Yeah. It was a look I used to have in my…younger years." he finished while laughing a bit.

Sakura looked away slightly suddenly feeling a little embarrassed at the fact that her feelings were so blatantly on display. "Don't laugh at me…" she said while avoiding his eyes with a faint smile.

"Don't think too much of it, Sakura-chan." he said while lifting a hand to rub the side of her face. "It takes one to know one."

There was a moment of silence between the two before Sakura finally spoke again. "You know, I thought you outgrew me…" she softly whispered while looking down.

"I could see why you'd think that…" he replied with a weak smile. "The truth is I could never outgrow you Sakura-chan. The only reason I settled into being your friend after the war is because, with Sasuke back, I thought you could finally have that life you always wanted. But Sasuke came back and nothing ever happened between you two. I was wondering why but then I noticed you weren't looking at him anymore, you were looking at me. Sakura-chan, I only ever wanted you to be happy, I just never thought you'd be happy with a baka like me, you know."

All Sakura could do was try to hold back the tears that were now blurring her vision. She thought he had lost his feelings for her, but he hadn't. He was just willing to suppress them if it meant she could be happy. He was just looking out for her, _as usual…_

"Well, I am." she replied through her tears as she leaned down to give him one last kiss. Naruto returned the kiss then sat up straight on the bed grabbing his shirt in the process. "So, I assume we're a thing, now?" he asked while pulling the shirt over his head.

Sakura smiled while wiping away her tears and said, "We are most definitely a thing now."

"Good." he replied with a genuine smile. He rose to his feet then stretched a bit as he looked out the hospital room window over the village. "So, want to go on our first date?"

Sakura looked down at her wrist to check her watch. "I've still got some time on my lunch break. Where to?"

"Ichiraku's, maybe?"

"Figures."

"No, I've got a good reason this time." he defended. "I've got two weeks' worth of free Ichiraku's to burn through."

"How in the world did you get two weeks' worth of free ramen?"

Naruto started smiling and said, "Kakashi was betting with people on whether I would sing that song yesterday. He promised me two weeks' worth of Ichiraku's if I did it."

"Did he now?" asked Sakura with a bit of rage already starting to show in her eye.

"Sure did!" replied Naruto, fully aware that he was getting his Sensei into a _loooooot_ of trouble.

"Oh, he's gonna pay…" she said while using her key to open the door.

"I'm sure he will." chuckled Naruto while following her out of the room.

"Let's go." said Sakura while giving him a tender smile and holding out her hand for him to take. Naruto gave her one of those goofy grins she was so used to before proudly grabbing ahold of her hand and walking her down the hallway. Typical Naruto.

"I just have one question though." she asked after they had walked for a bit.

"Yeah?"

"If you've known for sure that I liked you since the Christmas gathering, why didn't you say anything?"

Naruto smiled a bit as he turned to her. "Sakura-chan, did you listen to any of the songs?"

Sakura looked away feeling slightly ashamed and mumbled, "No, not really…"

Naruto smiled and said, "You should've listened to the songs, Sakura-chan."

"Maybe…" she admitted. "But I was too embarrassed to want to listen to them, in my defense..."

Naruto gave her a foxy grin and said, "Alright, let me sing one for you."

"You really don't have to…" she said while dropping both eyes.

"Too late." he quipped back.

Sakura could only smile and give a small eyeroll. Despite her actions, she couldn't deny a bit of curiosity regarding what the lyrics of all those songs had said. Maybe she'd listen to them later.

Naruto cleared his voice once more as he prepared to sing. "My voice isn't the best right now because, well you know..." he said while giving her a sideways smile. "...but I'll give it my best shot."

Sakura smiled a bit at the subtle jab then nodded for him to start.

"_We've known each other for so long_

_Your heart's been aching but you're too shy to say it."_

Sakura smiled a bit at the truth in that line while shaking her head at how much of a sap Naruto was.

"_Inside we both know what's been going on_

_We know the game and we're gonna play it"_

"Oh, I see." said Sakura with a smile. Naruto placed a finger over her mouth to silence her as he continued.

"_And if you ask me how I'm feeling_

_Don't tell me you're too blind to see…"_

Sakura smiled and placed a finger over his mouth now. _"Never gonna give me up?"_

Naruto simply smiled then wrapped his arm around her back as he nodded in agreement.

Sakura couldn't help but smile at the blond idiot. She thought she knew the guy, but the truth was that he could still surprise her even after all these years. She leaned into him a bit more, then whispered, "Naruto Uzumaki,"

"Yeah?"

"You's a cheesy m0t#3rf^c*3r."

* * *

**READER INFO:**

This story is officially done! I hope you all enjoyed it thoroughly and if you did, please don't forget to leave a review! I wrote this story to give me a break from more serious stories, and I think it's done that pretty well. I now have some more serious story ideas I want to flesh out so I'll probably start working on those.


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